Historical Background and Events Course

This course module is presented in five sections, approximately one hour: 

• 6.1 Introduction - Form an outline for the 40 year history of sustainability and learn how society became unsustainable through mechanized human- and animal-powered labor. 
• 6.2 Industrial Revolution - Learn about the rise of the Industrial Age and how an unsustainable cycle began that depended on cheap labor, dependence on fossil fuels, and constant demand for mass-produced goods. 
• 6.3 The Birth of Environmentalism - Explore the origins of the modern environmental movement, the emergence of NGO-led environmental initiatives, environmentalism’s link to the Atomic Age, and responses to the extractive economy.  
• 6.4.1 Toward Sustainable Development, Part 1 - Learn about the founding of the United Nations, how the UN created the concept of sustainable development, and about future committees formed at the Rio Earth Summit.
• 6.4.2 Toward Sustainable Development, Part 2 - Learn about the Montreal Protocol, the Millennium Development Goals, the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement.
• 6.5 Conclusion - Review the key points of module 6 and learn about the progress towards the goals set forth in previous agreements.

Course participants will take one quiz at the end of this module, approximately 10 questions.

The Sustainability Core Competencies course is designed for individuals who may be new to the sustainability field but who plan to incorporate sustainability concepts directly into their work. It could also be for individuals who want third-party certification of their knowledge of sustainability via the SEA credential or those with expertise in a sector of sustainability that desire a broader industry understanding.

Following the successful completion of the course, students will receive a Certificate of Completion, indicating knowledge of core sustainability concepts and best practices. 

The completion of the full Sustainability Core Competencies course earns 5 Continuing Education Units (CEU) for SEA and SEP credential holders, and the completion of this module alone earns 0.5 CEU credits.

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